Port Stephens Marlin

[Barnacle]

Last Tuesday my fishing mate and I headed to another friends weekender at Nelson Bay to chase some marlin. Went out for a quick check on conditions about lunch time and found good coloured water at about 19 nm out with the temp 24+. We then headed a little beyond the shelf and found 25.2 degrees with flying fish and a lot of bird activity. Looked for the next day.

Wednesday we launched the boat and headed towards the Car Park (found the co-ordinates) trolling the warmer water beyond the shelf and then crossing back to the cooler areas towards the Car Park but no action although it looked really good if a bit warm for other than blues (too big for this old bloke) and possibly blacks. We then headed back to the north in fairly flat seas and moderate conditions (wind about 14 kts) out wide of the shelf in the 25+ water at over 250m deep. With the water so warm we ran out a lumo lure on the smaller 15 kg fear in the shot gun position with the heavier gear on the outriggers and short corners - big mistake.

At 1445 hrs the shot gun (my rod) went off and it was action stations. I grabbed the rod and just held not applying too much pressure until my harnes was on and then started to pump to get som line back after the initial run. The marlin had given one jump and then went down so we called it for a black since it wasn't jumping as much as a stripey. This was one stubborn fish with the little 15 kg gear hardly able to gain more than a foot at a time. Being a trailor boat we can't back down but my mate who'd taken the helm spun the boat and we followed slowly at an angle to the line to get back more line. I'd get it close to the boat to about 30 to 50 m then he'd take off again. Pump, wind and follow with the boat when I was running out of line for an hour 35 minutes. This is the fourth marlin from this boat and we decided that unlike all other's, we'd keep the fish as we had orders for steaks from a number of friends.

After the 1hr 35 we had him boatside and gaffed and hauled him aboard. I was a bit stuffed but can't imagine how tough it would have been from a yak!

[Steve07]

Nice fish,well done getting him on the light tackle.

cheers

Steve